In the wake of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calling the HIV outbreak in the Kanawha Valley “the most concerning in the nation,” the American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia (ACLU-WV) has joined with other organizations to demand Charleston city leaders start listening to science and stop leading with fear.
In a statement of support for Solutions Oriented Addiction Response, ACLU-WV has joined with twelve other advocacy organizations from the region.
Our letter calls on local and state officials to support needs-based harm reduction and to set a standard for policymaking with decisions made based on science and data, not fear and stigma.
If you are in Charleston, please consider contacting your city council members to let them know that you support SOAR and needs-based harm reduction.
Unsure who represents you on city council? Use this link to find out: https://gisweb.cityofcharleston.org/cityclerk/myElectedreps.html
Find your council member’s contact information here: https://www.charlestonwv.gov/government/city-council